Joseph Persky Foundation
The Joseph Persky Foundation is a private foundation based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Massachusetts.
Joseph Persky Foundation at a glance
In short: Joseph Persky Foundation gave $310K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $309,500
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,379
- -0.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,930,057
- +13.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (3 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Joseph Persky Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Bollus Lynch 89 Shrewsbury St 200, Worcester, MA 01604
Phone: (508) 755-7107
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joseph Persky Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation of Central Mass ($54K). Together the top 10 received $207K.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 159 grants of 164 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 5% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Joseph Persky Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 33 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $232K (2020) to $310K (2025). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $310K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Central Mass Worcester, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $54,000 |
| United Way of Central Massachusetts Worcester, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $25,000 |
| Jewish Healthcare Center Worcester, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $20,000 |
| The Institute of Contemporary Art - Jill Medvedow Fund Boston, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $20,000 |
| Worcester Jewish Community Center Worcester, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $18,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $15,000 |
| Greater Worcester Community Foundation Worcester, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $15,000 |
| Music Worcester Worcester, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $15,000 |
| Worcester County Food Bank Shrewsbury, MA | To Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $15,000 |
| American Red Cross - Tropical Storm Relief Medford, MA | Enable Donee to Continue Exempt Function | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,930,057 | $221,948 | $342,576 | $309,500 | 33 | $309,500 | $202,347 | $318,581 |
| 2024 | $6,121,486 | $443,633 | $311,213 | $292,500 | 31 | $292,500 | $429,242 | $280,528 |
| 2023 | $5,512,792 | $108,666 | $261,381 | $245,175 | 32 | $245,175 | $102,315 | $252,111 |
| 2022 | $4,782,969 | $128,606 | $312,762 | $290,500 | 36 | $290,500 | $109,419 | $284,031 |
| 2021 | $6,122,308 | $99,344 | $272,691 | $259,000 | 32 | $259,000 | $88,043 | $279,225 |
| 2020 | $5,266,479 | $48,837 | $248,405 | $231,500 | 30 | — | $62,680 | $243,277 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph Persky Foundation reported a distributable amount of $319K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in community services, health care, Jewish community life, anti-hate work, music, food security, and the arts. For example, United Way of Central Massachusetts says it connects people and resources to improve the community; Jewish Healthcare Center says it operates a skilled nursing facility providing long-term care and recuperative services; and Worcester County Food Bank says it works to create a hunger-free community. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $309,500. Awards ranged from $500 to $54,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed grants went to Jewish Federation of Central Mass ($54,000), United Way of Central Massachusetts ($25,000), Jewish Healthcare Center ($20,000), and the Institute of Contemporary Art – Jill Medvedow Fund ($20,000). Other listed recipients included Worcester Jewish Community Center ($18,000); Anti-Defamation League, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Music Worcester, and Worcester County Food Bank ($15,000 each); and Association for Autism and Neurodiversity ($10,000).
The filing generally describes the grants as enabling recipients to continue their exempt functions. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David A. Persky as president, treasurer, and director; Marlene Persky as secretary and director; and Suzanne G. Persky, Warren E. Persky, Lauren Persky, and Joseph Persky as directors.
Joseph Persky Foundation is led by David A. Persky, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David A. Persky
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Joseph Persky
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lauren Persky
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marlene Persky
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Suzanne G. Persky
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Warren E. Persky
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Joseph Persky Foundation
How much does Joseph Persky Foundation give each year?
Joseph Persky Foundation gave $310K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $293K across 31 grants.
What is Joseph Persky Foundation's typical grant size?
Joseph Persky Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,379, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joseph Persky Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Joseph Persky Foundation give grants?
Joseph Persky Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Worcester, MA (18 grants), Boston, MA (5 grants), Medford, MA (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Who are Joseph Persky Foundation's largest grantees?
Joseph Persky Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation of Central Mass ($54,000), United Way of Central Massachusetts ($25,000) and Jewish Healthcare Center ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph Persky Foundation?
Joseph Persky Foundation reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $310K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $319K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Joseph Persky Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in community services, health care, Jewish community life, anti-hate work, music, food security, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph Persky Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Joseph Persky Foundation's EIN?
Joseph Persky Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6057747. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Joseph Persky Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joseph Persky Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-persky-foundation-morg_0a4174302fe449a88f3c94d4a23f5121
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046057747_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joseph Persky Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-persky-foundation-morg_0a4174302fe449a88f3c94d4a23f5121},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Joseph Persky Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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